Method of making cutting dies



11' 24, 195E M. BERLIN 2,495,221

METHOD OF MAKING CUTTING DIES Original Filed Aug. 4, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l //V VE N 70/? MIL TON BERL l/V i ATTRNEYS Jan, 1950 M. BERLIN 9 3 METHOD OF MAKING CUTTING DIES Original Filed Aug. 4, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/VE/VTOH 3 MILTON BERLIN A A r 1 ENE rs Jam 24, 1950 BERLIN 2,495,221

METHOD OF MAKING CUTTING DIES Original Filed Aug. 4, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 //V VE N TOR MIL TON BERL M/ Jam 24, $950 M. BERLIN 2,495,221

METHOD OF MAKING CUTTING DIES Original Filed Aug. 4, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //V VE/VTOR MIL TO/V BERL M/ Patented Jan. 24, 1950 ED ES; PATENT 2,495,221

METHBH: OE MAKI NGflDCEClI-INGrDIE Milton Herlfn, Brooklyn, N; Yr.

Qriginalt application: August t 1945; Seriai No 609 0416; Divided; and this: application. August 20,;1'-946,=S.e1=ial@No.- 69136751 under: the; act of March 3;. 1883,, as amendefii Anrii 30; 1928}. 370. 0. G. 7577f t The: invention described herein bemanufactored. and. used: by." or fore the.=.Governme1Itfor* goyanmentalpurposes; without the. payment: to: mezof any royalty: thereon.

This invention is adivision of my copending application. Serial? No. 609,00'6 filed.A ugust l i 1. 7.45; and relat'estoa method (if-making cuttingdies 1or sheeti material parts and is panticularly economi cal when:- produci'ng a limited number of punch' ings ofirregular outline:

An object of the-ihventibiris to=- provide a cut ting diet and a method of making it, therelativel'y low cost of which m'avbe jfustified even whemthe number of parts i's'quite" limited if the-stock" from" which the punchings are to be made is not too' hard.

Another object is" to provide at cutting die of? this character which man bem'adefromtcommerciallyprocurableistocki which is. less expensive.

and easier to work-thani'semplbyed in the art asnow-practiced? Other objects and advantages will be evident as the, inventiorri's further described 'andreferen'c'e; is made to the drawings, wherein:

' Fig; 1 shows a: length. ofstee1"-ru1e stock" with. beveled edges, bent. somewhat in the manner. of the parts" of. the" die;

Fig; 2shows a series of. bent, blades or. piecesofi stee'lierule stock which when. put togetherhiorm. the outline of thed'esii'eclpunchihgdie;

Fig; 3 shows. a. block: adapted to surround; the pieces shown in Fig, 2 and. hold. them properly: positioned'in the die Fig, 4 shows asecondzblockl which is adaptedito. fit. the inside contour of. the assembled; parts. of. Fig. .2 to. hold them. positioned;

Fig. 5 shows the supporting blocle of. 3-.W1thz the parts. of. Fig.. 2. assembled.- therein...

Fig. 6" shows a stripper adapted to remove, the punching from the die. i

Fig, 7 isanassembly of theisuppo ting. blocks-of Eigsy3; and 4 -Wilih. the; cutting pantssofit sembled" therein. and theystri-pper of Fig; 6 in. place.

. Fig. 8 shows the. assembly'oit Fig.1?- mountedion the; underside ota-punclnblocle, and; the: cutting plate. on the upper side'of the-diet with apiece of-i stock. between the two...

The several views arerall draw-m in perspeetire:

, Likereference; characters; refer: to. like: parts throughout theseveraliviewsz.

As: is not: unusual imconformedi die; design: time;

dieproperz ismonntediomthe upper CIIIIUHUhLbIUGEC whilethepunclrproprezrismountediorrthelloweivorr 1 Lengths of.thesteelerulestocleare bent asat llfito conform to theeperimeter oi thepunching which is to be; produced; the. side. having the. narrow; bevel- IA being.intallflcasesplaced. nextthe-model or other outlineofthedesiredpunching. Whether.

' onepieceor apl'urality ofipieces. ofithe rulestocle are used toencompass the punching depends somewhat onv theisizenasiwcellias .thecomplexity oi. the: outlinei,

Fig. 2 shows-how a number. oi pieces 1.8., 20, 2.2,: 24; and- ZG-of. rule-stock- H1 are. bent. toiormi cutting. blades, the. side having thenarrovv bevellltvbein-g fitted unto. the perimeter of thepunch ing. Abl-ocle 28,. Eig..v 3,,which may. beihard ply wood on other materialwhichisnot toodifiicult to work, has, anopening 3d,, the outlineofwhich is: duplicative ofi the desired; punching but. larger all: around; by the thickness. of the. rule-stock" A.b1ocls.32,,Eig. 4;. oi. similar. material is. formed. toxan outline 3A Whi$hi is. thesex-act outline oi the desired punching. Whemall- .oithe cutting blades. l 81.23,: Z2; Hand 26;; Fig. 2,..ere: assembled aroundi theinnen periphery of: the opening; SDZ-as: shown: in. Fig.. 5,; the-blocle 32, Fig. 4;, may be pressed intm thesopeningjll the opening alibeing so fitted; that theblockr 32- mas: beiorcedinto. place.- inside the:- cutting; blades, onlse with. considerable Q1585?- sure. Blocks 2B and 32 are both preferably/051a. thichnessgwhichi will: allow: the cutting. blades t8, 2:0 .22; to extend-,above-thmblocks a distance aboutzeqnal torthe. thickness'oft the: blades:

11bit; is desired). to: mask.- the: pnncl'iing for; sub;-- sequent driil-i-ne; a. series: oii; center: punches; as may he inserted imholesa kflzinithe; blockflig, on the: desired: holes: may be had; by substituting smalh fiat: ended; puncheninstead oicthe centerrpunches itcorrespomiingdiehoiesaaremmvidediin: the ape pmpriatemembem;

When the block 32 has been-ferrie'ci into places in 't he opening-f 3il 'as abos/e described; a. stripper 40*, Fig. 6;. Off sheetiruhber, which: woes thickness about equalize-- the' distance: which the: blades I58 211; 22 etc: extend above-the blocks- 28-C and is: secured: to: the. top of the bloek 32% as: shown in; Fig Theastripper 40 mam-.11 desired; consist of a single piece, or, where the punching to be produced is of relatively large dimensions, rubber may be conserved by making the stripper in a number of smaller pieces as shown in Fig. 6-. In either event holes 42 should be provided in the rubber to clear the center punches 36. The entire assembly shown in Fig. 7 may be referred to as the punching die and be broadly designated by the numeral 44. v

The die assembly 44 is now turned top side down as in Fig. 8, and secured to the underside of a conventional punch block 46 which is usually provided with a shank 43 adapted to be held by suitable clamping means on the lower end of the press ram. The structure hereinbefore described completes the movable member of the device.

A conventional die block 50 (see Fig. 8) is preferably first faced with a steel base plate 52 which may be fastened on the block by means of screws 54. A cutting plate 56 of suitable die stock is secured to the block 50 and to the base plate 52 by screws 58. This cutting plate should at this time be of any size which is enough larger than the desired punching to leave a small margin all around it. y

The shank 48 of the punch block 46 is now clamped to the ram of a suitable punch press, and the die block 50 roughly aligned with the assembly 44 and clamped to the bolster of the press. The press ram may then be brought down and adjusted so that, on the down stroke of the ram, the sharp edges of the cutting blades i8, 26, 22 etc. will be pressed deep enough in the cutting plate 56, which is at this stage of larger outline than the desired punching, to mark off the exact outline of the punching on the cutting plate 56. The cutting plate 56 is then removed from the die block 56 and base plate 52 by removing the screws 58, and the cutting plate 56 is cut down to the exact size and outline of the punching by following the outline cut into it by the sharp edges of the cutting blades I8, 20, 22 etc. The cutting plate56 corresponds to that which is the punch in a sample punch and die, and may hereinafter be referred to as the punch or punch plate.

Afterthe punch or punch plate 56 is returned to position onthe: die block 56 and fastened by screws 56, ,9, rubber stripper 66 preferably made of sheet rubber of substantially the same thickness as the punch-plate 56 is cut out to fit around the punch plate outline and fastened to the punch 52'as shown m n-g. 8. The stripper 66 may be madein a'singlepiece as shown, or may be made infsectionsfwhere the punching is of considerable size The die block assembly which includes the punch plate may be broadly referred to by the numeral 62.

While in the drawings the die assembly 44 is attached to the punch'block which is the upper or movable part of the device, and the assembly 6 2 which includes the-'punch'plate 56 is attached to the bolster,'which isthe stationary part of the device; the arrangement may readily be reversed whereby the assembly 62 will be above and the assembly '44 below, and while steel rule stock is indicated'as beingpreferred, any suitable strip steel of proper width and thickness may be substituted if desired. '3 j rIn practice 'stampings 63; from sheet metal stock 64'can' be quicklyandnicely made by inserting the'stock'between the punch block 46 bearing the die 44'and the'die block 50 bearing 4 positions. When the punch block is forced against the sheet metal stock, the steel blades of the punching die 44 shear through the metal along the edges of the cutting plate 56, and a sheet punching of the desired configuration is at once obtained, because the stock is 'cut through along the edges of the punching plate 56 cleanly and smoothly.

It is a novel feature of great importance that the block 28 is of hard wood. When the piece 32 is cut out the block 28 affords a frame in which the parts having the cutting edges of the die are locked by the piece 32 as the latter is placed in the opening 36.

The value and merit of the invention reside in the fact that the apparatus as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 can be made with less labor, inexpensively and quickly and will operate with the greatest efficiency and certainty to yield the desired results. The die block 56 is of metal and the base plate 52 is of steel, as usual, and the cutting plate 56 is also of suitable metal. When the metal punching die 44 comprising the steel blades in the blocks 28 and 32 is pressed against a plate of metal stock on the punching or cutting plate 56, a punching can be severed and cut free from the stock instantly, and repeated operations can be cleanly performed with the full pressure needed. Any suitable hard wood can be utilized for the blocks 28 and 32; for example, maple, soft gum, plywood, etc. The opening 36 can be cut out by means of an ordinary scroll saw; and Whereas such blocks have heretofore been of steel and required weeks for completion, a block of any of the woods mentioned can be completed in a few hours; and serves just as well and lasts just as long. Thus the production of the punching die takes only from one tenth to one hundredth of the time necessary to make the same member out of steel or other metal. The apparatus can cut out perfect punchings from dural metal of 1% inch thickness and from cold rolled steel up to even a fourth of an inch. The assembly as shown in Figures 6 and 7 can thus be made in a very short time and in practice, the cutting plate 56 is of the same shape as the outline enclosed by the steel blades of the punching die 44, and of such a size that the edges of the punching block 56 lie preferably just within the compass of these blades, and virtually flush with the inner faces of these blades. Then as the punching die forces the metal stock against the punching block, the edges of the latter press against the stock on one face thereof while the cutting blades press against the stock on the other face. The shearin or punching action is thus clean and even and a perfect punching is always produced. I

Having described an embodiment of my invention, Y

I claim: v A method of making a device for punching sheet metal which consists in cutting an opening in a die block having the contour of the desired punching but larger than the punching, bending blade means in strip form to make cutting edges and fittin 'them around the inside of the opening in the die block, pressing a smaller block of the same contour into the space enclosed by said blades, covering the smaller block within the contour enclosed by the blades with a resilient stripper block of the same thickness as the exposed height 'of the blades, fastening a punch plate to a base plate, pressing the cutting edges of the blades into the punchplate to mark oil 5 said contour thereon, removing the marked punch plate from the base plate, trimming the punch plate to the marked outline of said contour, returning and fastening the punch plate to the base plate, and surroundin said punch plate with cushioning stripper material on the base plate.

MILTON BERLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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